The present invention relates to a portable communications terminal, and particularly to a novel cabinet design for housing the electronic components, including a keyboard and display screen, for providing a self-contained and portable terminal package.
Modern computer technology has made it possible for digital computer systems to be electronically coupled to communications devices at remote locations by interconnecting through telephone lines. Acoustic coupler devices are well known in the art for attachment to the common telephone receiver to enable the telephone receiver to become an element in this communications link. In a computer processing center a number of telephone receivers may be coupled in this manner into a digital computer processing system and the computer may therefore communicate with other computers or communication devices anywhere in the world where there is a connectable telephone receiver. At these remote locations an operator may use a similar acoustic coupling device in conjunction with an electronic keyboard to transmit data into the computer, or in conjunction with an output device such as a display screen or printer to receive information from the computer. Salesmen, for example, may place orders directly into a central computer inventory system and may receive information back concerning available supplies and customer information from such a system.
It is desirable to provide such remote communications terminals with an alphanumeric keyboard for inputting data to the computer system and a display screen for receiving data from the computer system, and to incorporate these devices into a unit which is truly portable. While technological advances have consistently reduced the size requirements for such terminals, they continue to be heavy and bulky and difficult to transport. In addition, such terminals are frequently subject to misalignment and damage due to mechanical shock and must therefore be carefully handled.